Strat without country of origin mark

Quillo

I have a "lipstick red" Fender Stratocaster serial number N566243.

I bough in the mid-90's new in a shop in Limerick as an American Strat but I've always been curious at the absence of the "Made in the USA" mark. I know some Strats were made in Japan around that time and I had thought until recently that I may have one of them, however, I recently read that Japanese made Strats marked as either "made in" or "crafted in" Japan.

Both US and Japanese guitars of this time had serial numbers of the N123456 format so the serial number is not an indicator in its self.

The Headstock on my guitar has no country of manufacture.....

Anyone know of Fenders of this period were known to omit the country of manufacture and whether such an omission indicates US or other builds ?

Ultimately it doesn't matter where the instrument was made as I love it and would never part with it. Would just like to know out of curiosity.

punchdrunk

two point trem would suggest US model,taking it apart would tell me more
about it it N5 should mean it's a 1995 model

Quillo

Posted over on the Fender forum and the view there is Am Std....

http://www.fender.com/community/forums/viewtopic.php?t=39068

Johnny Storm

Quillo wrote: »

I bough in the mid-90's new in a shop in Limerick as an American Strat but I've always been curious at the absence of the "Made in the USA" mark. I know some Strats were made in Japan around that time and I had thought until recently that I may have one of them, however, I recently read that Japanese made Strats marked as either "made in" or "crafted in" Japan.

FWIW it was actually in 1984/1985 that all Strats were made in Japan.

Dord

Personally I think it's a "Factory Special Run" (FSR) American Standard Strat. I seem to remember seeing some like this in a store a few years ago.

Quillo

Thanks for the feedback.
Always half-wondered if the guy that sold it to me was pulling a fast one